SICK CHILD?
Wellington/West Palm Beach
1037 S. State Road 7 Suite 215
Wellington, FL 33414
561-333-4568
Find us
My Blog
A primary tooth or baby tooth usually remains in the child's mouth until a permanent tooth underneath it is ready to emerge through the gums. They save space for the for the child's future permanent teeth (adult teeth) and guide the adult teeth into their proper position. These first teeth play an important role in how children learn to chow, speak and smile. They are also very important to a child's physical, emotional, and social development.
Tooth brushing can begin as soon as baby's first tooth pokes through the gums. Use a clean, damp washcloth, a gauze pad, or a finger brush to gently wipe clean the first teeth and the front of the tongue, after meals and at bedtime. A children dentist can help you to take care of your infant’s teeth since the moment they erupted.
Infection in baby teeth can pass and affect permanent teeth. Tooth decay on the top front teeth of an infant or small child is called Early Childhood Caries. This decay may look like white spots, dark pits, holes or broken teeth and may be painful making it hard for your child to eat.
Regular oral care routines establish life-long benefits for both babies and permanent teeth. habits. Visit a pediatric dentist in West Palm Beach early in the child’s growing years can help avoid unnecessary decay and dental treatment later.
The truth is that baby teeth DO matter!
Babies began to suck on their fingers or thumbs even before they are born. This type of sucking is completely normal for babies and young children. It is comforting for children, and they usually do it when they are bored, tired, worried or feeling stressed.
Thumb sucking is one of the most common forms of several sucking habits that affect the shape of the mouth and alignment of the teeth.
Chronic thumb or finger sucking can have a host of serious health and developmental consequences. Dental harm: prolonged sucking can cause the teeth to protrude, requiring expensive dental work to correct. Bullying: bullies often target kids who suck their thumbs or fingers. This can be very traumatizing or stressful for them. Frequent illness: unwashed thumbs and fingers bring bacteria and viruses into the mouth, which can lead to illness.
It is important to stop the thumb sucking habit before permanent teeth begin to come in. Most children stop sucking habits on their own between two- and four-years age, but some children need help of their parents and their pediatric dentist in West Palm Beach. When your child is old enough to understand the possible results of a sucking habit, your pediatric dentist near me can encourage your child to stop, as well as talk about what happens to the teeth if your child does not stop. This advice, couple with the support from parents, helps most children quit. If this approach does not work, your children dentist may recommend an appliance that blocks sucking habits. This device can help stop thumb sucking within a few days.
Regular check-up every six months will help your kid’s pediatric dentist carefully watch the way your child’s teeth come in and jaws develop, keeping the sucking habits in mind at all times.
Malocclusion is the improper position of the teeth and jaws. It is a variation of normal growth and development which can affect the bite, the ability to clean teeth properly, Teeth grinding, loss of baby teeth too soon or very late, mouth breathing, tooth decay, gum tissue health, jaw growth, speech development and appearance.
Around 6 years old the permanent teeth start to teeth erupt in your kid’s mouth. If the process doesn’t occur as it should, a bad bite (malocclusion) may develop. The most commons problems to watch for in kids age 6 to 8 are: Crowding, open bite, overbite (deep bite), crossbite (front teeth), underbite, abnormal eruption.
There are different methods that can be used depending the nature of the problem and the tooth movement required. Every kid is unique and must be treated individually. The kid’s Dentist will provide the estimate of length of time required prior to initiating a treatment.
Your kid needs a Pediatric Specialist check up every six months to detect any malocclusion. You should be aware that early treatment will either simplify or rule out the necessity for full orthodontic treatment at a later age. The pediatric dentist near me can improve your child’s oral health and aid in the development of a proper bite and attractive smile.
The lingual frenum connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth. Sometimes, the lingual frenum can run all the way to the tip of the tongue, causing a person to be “tongue-tied.” Tongue-tie (Ankyloglossia) is a congenital oral developmental anomaly of the tongue characterized by a short, thick lingual frenum resulting in limitation of tongue movement. The tongue becomes tied down and cannot move as freely as it should.
A short lingual frenum can sometimes obstruct normal function. Tongue-tie can affect a baby's oral development, causing problems that interfere with eating, speaking or reaching the back teeth. An early diagnose in a friendly kid’s dentist office is necessary to avoid trouble with breast-feeding and speech problems.
-
Signs and symptoms of tongue-tie include: Difficulty lifting the tongue to the roof of the mouth or moving the tongue from side to side. Trouble sticking out the tongue past the lower front teeth. A tongue that appears flat, square or heart shaped instead of pointy when extended. The tongue can't poke out past the lips.
In some cases, a simple surgical procedure should be considered for correction. A frenectomy is simply the removal of a frenulum, a small fold of tissue that prevents an organ in the body from moving too far. Frenectomy is performed under the tongue, it is also called lingual frenectomy. It is a very common dental procedure that is performed on infants, children, and adults. A lingual frenectomy should be considered if a child is having trouble eating, swallowing, or speaking.
A Pediatric Dentist near me can help you to get a better evaluation your kid will need. Schedule your kid dental appointment as soon as see any sign or symptom of tongue-tie.
Tooth decay is a disease known as dental caries that's caused by specific germs, spreads easily within families, and can last a lifetime. In the United States, cavities are common in very young children and teenagers. By age 5, about 60 percent of U.S. children will have experienced tooth decay, according to the “State of Little Teeth Report,” a 2014 American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry document based on a survey of 1,000 parents.
Baby front teeth stick until around age 6. Baby molars are there even longer, until around 10. Your child won't have all his or her permanent teeth until around age 12 or 13 excluding wisdom teeth. Tooth decay in primary (baby) teeth affects permanent (adult) teeth too. The developing adult or permanent tooth is growing directly under the baby tooth. If the decay is extensive the bacteria in the cavity can spread down to affect the developing adult tooth under it.
The signs and symptoms of cavities vary, depending on their extension and location. When a cavity is just beginning, you may not have any symptoms at all. As the decay gets larger, it may cause signs and symptoms
- Toothache, spontaneous pain or pain that occurs without any apparent cause.
- Tooth sensitivity.
- Mild to sharp pain when eating or drinking something sweet, hot or cold.
- Visible holes or pits in your teeth.
- Brown, black or white staining on any surface of a tooth.
- Pain when you bite down.
Brushing and flossing are fundamental for helping kids. It is also recommended visit a Pediatric in Dentist West Palm Beach when the first teeth appear or by the child’s first birthday, whichever occurs first.
This website includes materials that are protected by copyright, or other proprietary rights. Transmission or reproduction of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use, as defined in the copyright laws, requires the written permission of the copyright owners.
APPOINTMENT REQUEST
We've made requesting an appointment easy. Simply click below to request your appointment now.
EXPECTING?
Choosing a pediatrician is an important and personal decision and we want you to feel at ease with the care you and your child will receive.
PATIENT FORMS
TESTIMONIALS
PATIENT EDUCATION
Find helpful information in our digital library.
Archive:
- 2019
- 2018
- 2017
- 2016
- 2015
- 2014
Categories:
  |
CONTACT US
Questions or Comments?
We encourage you to contact us whenever you have an interest or concern about our services.
Call Today 561-333-4568
1037 S. State Road 7 Suite 215
Wellington, FL 33414